By Our Correspondent
KOIRA/BONAI/BHUBANESWAR: The Koira Tahasildar has written to Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Sundargarh citing large scale illegal mining and violation of Van-Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan Adhuniyam, 1980 in respect of Sanindipur Iron Ore Mines of M/s National Enterprises , now Grewal Minerals & Metals LLP. This constituted a violation of Rule 12 of the MMDR Act, 1957 (Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation Act). The Sanindpur mine has a historical context of boundary scrutiny in earlier inquiries (e.g., Shah Commission reports from 2013 noted encroachments at the same site).
Tahasildar in the Letter No..&42…D09.04,2026 attaching District office letter no. 15320/Rev, Vll-12/2025 Dt. 16.12.2025 & Memo No. 13125/6F Dt. 30.12.2025 of the DFO, Bonai, drew attention to the letter on the subject cited above, said that joint enquiry has been conducted by the Revenue Supervisor, Koira with Amin, Patmunda, forest & mining officials in Sanindipur Iron Ore Mines of M/s National Enterprises (now Grewal Minerals & Metals LLP) on illegal mining and violation of Van-Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan Adhuniyam, 1980.
The detail enquiry report of RS, Koira has been is enclosed herewith for kind reference. This is for favour of kind information and necessary action.The Koira Tahasildar letter to ADM Sundargarh came after Revenue Supervisor Koira conducted a spot investigation and submitted his report. Revenue Supervisor submitted his views regarding demarcation and identification of lease boundary pillars in respect of Sanindpur Iron &Mn. Mines of M/s Grewal Minerals & Metals LLP.
Citing an official order of Tahasildar Koira bearing Memo. No-121 / Dt. 12.01.2026, Revenue Supervisor said that he proceeded to village-Sanindipur with Forest officials and Mining officials and made field verification jointly, on revenue point of view.
Core Findings of Illegal Activity (Supported by Multiple Joint Verifications) Mining and dumping outside the approved lease boundary
The Revenue Supervisor’s field verification report (8 April 2026) explicitly lists specific plots where illegal mining and dumping occurred:
Mouza- Sanindpur
Khata No-55-Plot No-383/762/p- Kissam- Gochar-Area –Ac-0.78- Remarks- Illegal mining.
Khata -58-Plot-398/p-Kissam-Pahad-Ac-4.37- Remarks- Illegal mining.
Khata No-58-Plot-403/p-Kissam –Pahad-Ac-0.68- Remarks- Illegal mining.
Khata No-57-Plot-662/p-Kissam-Goda-II-Ac-0.25. Remarks Illegal mining.
Khata No-58-Plot -648/p-Kissam-Pahad-Ac-0.15. Remarks Dumping.
Earlier verification (31 Dec 2025) already quantified 1.756 Ha of mine working outside the lease area
These constitute strong official evidence of illegal mining and forest violations by M/s Grewal Minerals & Metals LLP (previously M/s National Enterprises) at their Sanindpur Iron Ore Mines (lease area 70.917 Ha).
It’s an escalating the case for “necessary action” to higher authorities — Additional District Magistrate (Sundargarh), Deputy Director of Mines (Koira), and Divisional Forest Officer (Bonai Division).
Boundary pillar tampering:
Original tri-junction Pillar “A” (the most critical reference point) was disturbed/shifted by the lessee. DGPS coordinates of most pillars (except A and N) do not match the approved lease plan or the 2014/2025 maps.
Significant excavation found beyond pillars C3 to E and overburden dumping between B and B1.
GPS/DGPS map discrepancies
ORSAC (Odisha Remote Sensing Application Centre) conducted a fresh joint DGPS survey (9–18 Feb 2026) in the presence of Mining, Revenue, and Forest officials. The survey confirmed that the lessee-supplied DGPS map and the actual field positions do not match. Even the shape of the lease map is only “approximately near correct” — field positions are incorrect.
Forest law violation: All documents repeatedly cite violation of the Van-Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan Adhiniyam, 1980 (Odisha’s Forest Conservation Act). Some of the encroached plots (e.g., plot 398, 403, 648) reportedly fall under DLC (District Level Committee) forest land, making the violation more serious.
Timeline of Events:
Dec 2025–Jan 2026: DFO Bonai raises illegal mining complaint → DDM Koira constitutes joint committee → First field verification on 31.12.2025 detects 1.756 Ha encroachment.
Jan–Feb 2026: Multiple letters exchanged; Director of Mines & Geology orders fresh DGPS survey by ORSAC.
18 Feb 2026: Full joint DGPS survey conducted with 10+ officials + lessee’s representatives present.
8 April 2026: Revenue Supervisor submits detailed report to Tahasildar listing exact plots and violations.
9 April 2026: Tahasildar, Koira forwards the entire file (with enclosure) to ADM Sundargarh, DD Mines, and DFO Bonai “for kind information and necessary action”.
The case has moved extremely fast — the final forwarding letter is literally one day old (9 April 2026).Legal & Practical Implications for Grewal Minerals & Metals LLP
Under Indian mining and forest laws, the evidence here is very strong because:It is backed by joint verification involving all three departments (Revenue + Mining + Forest).
It includes precise plot-wise measurements and ORSAC DGPS survey (considered authoritative).Boundary pillars were physically verified on ground.
Likely immediate consequences:
Show-cause notice + personal hearing to the lessee.Stop-work order on the encroached areas (and possibly the entire mine).
Recovery of illegal mining penalty (up to 3× the value of minerals extracted illegally under MMDR Act).
Compensatory afforestation cost + Net Present Value (NPV) of diverted forest land.
Possible suspension or cancellation of the mining lease (especially since G-Form was already booked in the name of the GM).
Criminal proceedings under Forest Conservation Act and Environment Protection Act if the violation is proven wilful.
The company has already changed hands (National Enterprises → Grewal Minerals & Metals LLP via supplementary deed in 2021), which sometimes complicates liability, but the current lessee is fully responsible for the violations.
This is not a routine bureaucratic note — it is a well-documented, multi-departmental finding of systematic boundary encroachment and illegal mining in a forest-prone area of Sundargarh. The Tahasildar has now placed the ball firmly in the court of the ADM, DD Mines, and DFO. Action is almost certain in the coming weeks.
A joint investigation has been formally launched to verify the exact location of the site and the extent of any boundary violation.Legal action will be initiated based on the final DGPS report.All extraction and ore transportation have been halted.
The DDM is awaiting the fresh DGPS survey to confirm whether mining occurred within or outside the 70.917-hectare lease area.Further steps (including possible penalties or resumption) will follow receipt of the ORSAC report.
